Combined coke oven door jamb cleaning apparatus and pusher



L. G. TUCKER Aug. 10, 1965 COMBINED COKE OVEN DOOR JAMB CLEANING APPARATUS AND PUSHER Filed Jan. 29, 1964 INVENTOR. LIA W000 G 7YJQKLE.

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59 7" 7-0, Jew/5 Y United States Patent 99,135 COMBENED CGKE (OVEN DUQR EAMB CLEANING APPARATUS AND PUSHER Linwood G. Tucker, Pittsburgh, 12s., assignor to hoppers Qoinpany, Inc", a corporation of Delaware Fiied Fan. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 34%83 8 7 Qtaims. Cl. 3)

The present invention relates to a coke oven door jamb cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, a cleaning apparatus which may be attached to a coke oven pusher machine and may be utilized to scrape clean the door jarnb of a coke oven and thereby remove the tar and pitch-like deposits which accumulate thereon.

In many modern coke ovens, self-sealing doors are utilized to close the entryway to the coke oven. The self-sealing doors have a sealing strip extending around the periphery of the door in a generally vertical plane. This sealing strip presents a knife edge to the door seating jamb for sealing therewith. The door-seating jamb of the coke oven is usually a casting having a vertical planar surface. This planar surface includes the actual door seating surface against which the knife edge of the door is urged.

In order to have an effective seal between the selfsealing coke oven door and the door seating jamb, the sealing surfaces located between them must be initially clean. Because, during the use of the coke oven, deposits of tar and pitch-like substances often form on the sealing surface of the door jamb, it is necessary to periodically clean these surfaces by scraping the deposits from them.

Heretofore, the deposits on coke oven door seating jambs have been scraped therefrom in some instances manually by laborers working in the vicinity of the coke oven door. Because of the extreme heat present, and because of the adhereing qualities of the tar-like deposits, this job has been among the most difficult and time consurning tasks in operating the coke oven.

In the present invention, a frame mechanism is formed to be of the approximate size and shape of the jamb casting of the coke oven. This frame mechanism has mounted thereon a scraper chain for movement over a predetermined path defined by the frame mechanism. The path of the scraper chain coincides with the shape of the door seating surface on the coke oven door seating jamb. The scraper chain mounted on the apparatus frame member has a number of scraper blades fixed to the chain in a manner that the scraper blades bear against the coke oven door seating surface of the jamb casting when the frame member of the apparatus is moved into position in proximity to the coke oven door jamb casting. Accordingly, when the chain is actuated to be driven along the predetermined path, the scraper blades trace a path along the jamb casting which is coincident with the door seating surface of the jamb casting, thereby scraping clean the jamb door seating surface.

T he apparatus of the present invention is designed to be selectively utilized to clean a door jamb casting when desired. When the apparatus of the present invention is not in use, it may be retracted and berthed to prevent any interference with the normal operation of the coke oven pusher machine. The coke oven pusher machine, equipped with the jamb cleaning apparatus of the present invention, may be efiectively utilized in the convcntional pushing series and, at the same time, may be employed to clean the jamb casting of the coke oven when required.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an effective coke oven jarnb casting cleaning apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a coke oven jamb casting cleaning apparatus which may be utilized to remove deposits of pitch-like material from the door seating surface of the jamb.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a jamb casting cleaning apparatus which employs a scraper chain that traces a path coincident with the coke oven door SBEtllll" surface so that the scraper means on the scraper chain each scrape a path over the entire door seating surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a jamb casting cleaning apparatus which is attached to a coke oven pusher machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a jamb casting cleaning apparatus which is utilized with a coke oven pusher machine and which is berthed on the pusher machine in an out of the way location when not in use.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent as this description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a coke oven pusher machine with the coke oven door jamb cleaning apparatus of the present invention installed thereon showing the ram of the coke oven in a retracted position.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of a coke oven pusher machine similar to FIGURE 1, showing the ram of the pusher machine in an advanced position and the cleaning apparatus of the present invention in close proximity to the coke oven door jamb.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of a portion of a coke oven pusher machine and oven door jainb cleaning apparatus taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section detail view to an enlarged scale of the sprocket mechanism and scraper chainv of the cleaning apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FEGURE 5 is a fragmentary view of the cleaning apparatus scraper chain to an enlarged scale showing the detail of the scraper blade and the deposits on the door jamb casting.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIG- URES 1 and 2, a portion of a coke oven pusher machine is indicated generally at ltl. The pusher machine It} has a body portion l2 which is mobile and may be moved from coke oven to coke oven where the pusher machine is required.

The coke oven pusher machine It'll has a ram 14 which is formed integraily with a ram beam 16. The ram beam 16 is supported by the body portion 12 of the pusher machine 1% and is movable in a reciprocating manner relative to body portion I2 by beam extending mechanism (not shown).

As shown in FIGURE 1, the ram Idand the ram earn in or" the pusher machine are retracted back into the body portion 12 away from the door jamb of a coke oven. are advanced into a coke oven 18.

In FIGURE 2, the ram 14 and the ram beam 15- .of the coke oven 18.

The coke oven 18 of FIGURE 2 has a door seating jamb 20 which extends completely around the doorway The planar front surface of the door seating jamb 20 provides a coke oven door seating surface 22. The door seating surface 22 receives the knife edge of the self-sealing coke oven door (not shown) when the door is positioned to close the coke oven.

As shown in FIGURE 2', the coke oven 18, in vertical section, has an inventory of coke 24- therein. The ram 14, which is partially. cut away to more clearly show the cleaning mechanism, is advanced through the door seating jamb 26 and abuts the face of the coke inventory 24. The coke oven pusher machine ram 14 may be ad vanced still further out from the body portion 12 in order to push the inventory of coke 24 on through the furnace and level the furnace.

Positioned about the ram beam 16 of the coke oven pusher machine is a frame member 26 which forms a part of the coke oven door jamb cleaning apparatus. The frame member 26 is supported in a generally vertical position by a frame supporting member 28 that extends horizontally over the ram beam 16. A number of braces 30 connect the frame supporting member 28 to the outer portions of the frame member 26.

A frame advancing carriage 32 having rollers'34 positioned thereon, is attached to and supports the frame supporting member 28 on the ram beam 16. The rollers 34 contact the upper surface of the ram beam 16 and permit the frame advancing carriage 32 to advance and retract the frame 26 over the surface of the ram beam 16.

A retracting cable 36 is attached to the frame advancing carriage 32 and may be utilized to retract the frame member 26 over the ram beam 16 when the ram 14 is in the extended position shown in FIGURE 2., A spring 37 is positioned between the frame advancing carriage 32 and the frame supporting member 28 to urge the frame supporting member forwardly relative to the carriage 32 to thereby cause the frame member 26 to be continuously urged against the coke oven door seating jamb 20 when the frame is in close proximity to the jamb 20.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the frame member 25 is of a shape which surrounds the ram 14 and the ram beam 16 and is generally the same size and shape as the door seating jamb 20 of the coke oven 18. A scraper chain 38 formed of a plurality of chain links 40 is mounted on the frame member 26 for movement relative thereto. The scraper chain 38 is so mounted that its path is coincident with the door seating surface 22 on door seating jamb 20 of the coke oven 18.

Four sprockets 42 are rotatably positioned on the frame member 26 for mounting the scraper chain 38. The sprockets mesh with the scraper chain 38 and drive the scraper chain 38 along the predetermined path relative to frame member 26. The details of one sprocket 42, the scraper chain 38, andthe individual links 40 are clearly shown in FIGURE 4.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, and in phantom lines on FIGURE 1, the chain 38 is provided with a guide means 44that takes the form of a U-shaped channel surrounding the chain and opening forwardly from the frame member 26. The U-shaped channel permits the scraper chain to exert pressure against the door seating jamb 20 Without subjecting the scraper chain 38 to any abnormal forces. The guidemeans 44 may have antifriction means such as roller bearings (not shown) formed therein to permit the scraper chain 38 to more freely move relative thereto.

The sprockets 42 are driven through a drive transmission 46 by a scraper chain drive motor 48 mounted on the frame supporting member 28. When the drive motor 48 is actuated, the scraper chain 38 is driven by sprockets 42 to trace a path along the predetermined 1 course which is coincident with the door seating surface 22 of door seating jamb 2t).

As best shown in FIGURE 5, some of the links 49a of scraper chain 38 have scraper blades i) affixed thereto. The scraper blades 55) are rectangular knife blades having a spring arm 52 fixedly secured thereto. The spring arm is preferably formed of spring wire having a diameter of approximately A inch. The spring arm 52 is secured to the'link 4th: and, because of the resilience of the spring arm 52, the scraper blade 50is urged against the door seating surface 22 of the door seating jamb 20 when the frame member 26is brought into close proximity with the door seating jamb 20/ The scraper blade 59 and the links 40 and arm of FIGURE 5 are shownto an expanded scale. Likewise, the door seating surface 22 is shown with a series of pitch-like deposits 54 formed thereon. As the scraper blade 50 moves over the door seating surface 22, the action of the scraper blades 50 scrapes the deposits from the seating surface 22.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the coke oven pusher machine 10 is provided with a cleaning apparatus berthing mechanism 55. The berthing mechanism consists of a platform which may receive the frame advancing carriage 32 and elevate the advancing carriage 32 away from the ram beam 16 so that the frame mechanism 26 is not moved when the ram beam 16 is advanced. The particular berthing mechanism raising and lowering mechanism forms no part of the present invention and is not shown in the drawings. 'However, the berthing mechanism is shown with the frame advancing carriage 32 raised clear from the ram beam 16 in FIGURE 1. In FIGURE 2, the berthing mechanism has been lowered down 'near the ram beam 16 to permit the frame advancing carriage 32 to come into contact with the ram beam 16 and be carried by the beam 1-6 forwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

In the operation of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the coke oven pusher'machine 10 is positioned so that the ram 14 is in front of the particular coke oven door to be worked upon. The coke oven door is then removed. With the ram 14 in the retracted position of FIGURE 1, and With the cleaning apparatus frame member 26 herthed as shown in FIG- URE l, the berthing mechanism 56 is retracted to permit the. rollers 34. of the frame advancing carriage 32 to contact the ram beam 16. The ram 14 and ram beam 1% are then advanced so that the ram 14 enters the coke oven through the door seating jamb 2t} and abuts the coke inventory 24. At the same time, the ram beam 16 carries the frame member 26 forwardly into close proximity with the door seating jamb 2%. At that time, the scraper blades 59, attached to the scraper chain 38, go into contact with the door seating surface 22 of seating jamb 20. This is the position shown in FIGURE 2.

With the scraper blades 56 in contact with the door seating, surface 22, the scraper chain drive motor 48 is actuated to drive the scraper chain along the predetermined path that coincides with the door seating surface 22; The individual scraper blades 5%) then trace a path along the door seating surface22 scraping the seating surface 22 free of any tar or pitch-like deposits that have formed thereon.

After the scraping operation has been completed, the drive motor 48 is stopped. By use of the retracting cable 36, the frame member 26 is pulled back from the door seating jamb 29 by rolling the frame advancing carriage 32 backwardly over the upper surface of ram beam 16. If desired, the cleaning apparatus can then be berthed by raising the berthing mechanism 56 to pick the frame advancing carriage 32 clear of the ram beam 16. The ram 14 can then be utilized'without movement of the cleaning apparatus to force the coke inventory 24 out of the furnace.

When the cleaning apparatus is in operation, the ram 14 helps to serve as a heat shield for the cleaning apparatus and'the drive motor 48. Because of the intense heat radiating from the coke inventory 24, the mechanism could adversely suffer. However, with the ram 14 against the face of the coke inventory 24, much of the heat is prevented from reaching the drive mechanism of the cleaning apparatus.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now Consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A coke oven pusher machine and oven door jamb cleaning apparatus comprising:

a body portion;

a pusher ram supported by a ram beam and reciprocally movable relative to said body portion through the doorway of a coke oven to abut the coke within said oven and move said coke when required;

a frame member movably positioned on said ram beam and constructed and arranged to be movable over said ram beam into close proximity to the door seating jamb of said coke oven doorway when said pusher ram is within said'doorway;

an endless scraper chain mounted on said frame member for movement in a vertical plane relative to said frame member along a predetermined path;

a plurality of scraper blades fixed to said chain and protruding forwardly therefrom to abut said coke oven door seating jarnb when said frame member is in close proximity to said jamb;

sprocket means driven by a scraper drive mechanism and mounted on said frame member to drive said chain along said predetermined path; and

guide means constructed and arranged to maintain said scraper chain against said door seating jamb as said chain travels along said predetermined path;

said scraper chain predetermined path being defined to cause each of said scraper blades to travel over the entire door seating surface of said jamb when said frame member is in close proximity to said jamb and when said chain is driven by said scraper drive mechanism and said sprocket means to thereby scrape clean said jamb seating surface,

2. A coke oven pusher machine and oven door jamb cleaning apparatus comprising:

a body portion;

a pusher ram supported by a horizontal ram beam, said ram beam being movably mounted on said body portion for reciprocal movement relative to said body portion through the doorway of a coke oven;

a generally rectangular frame member;

frame supporting means constructed and arranged to support said frame member in a plane perpendicular to said ram beam so that said frame member encircles said ram beam;

said frame supporting means including frame advancing means constructed and arranged to advance and retract said frame member over said ram beam so that said frame member can be moved into close proximity to the door seating jarnb of said coke oven doorway when said pusher ram is advanced through said coke oven doorway;

an endless scraper chain mounted on said frame member for movement in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said frame member along a predetermined path;

a plurality of scraper blades fixed to said chain and protruding forwardly therefrom to abut said coke oven door seating jamb when said frame member is in close proximity to said jamb;

sprocket means driven by a scraper drive mechanism and mounted on said frame member to drive said chain along said predetermined path;

said scraper chain predetermined path being defined to cause each of said scraper blades to travel over the entire door seating surface of said jamb when said frame member is in close proximity to said jarnb and when said chain is driven by said scraper drive mechanism and said sprocket means to thereby scrape clean said jamb seating surface.

3. The coke oven pusher machine and oven door jamb cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein said body portion includes a frame member berthing means constructed and arranged to selectively retain said frame member against said body portion to thereby permit said ram and said ram beam to move relative to said body portion without moving said frame member relative to said body portion.

4. The coke oven pusher machine and oven door jamb cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of said scraper blades is fixed to a link of said scraper chain by a resilient arm member, said arm member causing said blade to be urged away from said scraper chain and against said door seating jamb when said frame member is in close proximity to said jamb.

5. A coke oven pusher machine and oven door jamb cleaning apparatus comprising:

a body portion;

a pusher ram supported by a ram beam and reciprocally movable relative to said body portion through the doorway of a coke oven to abut the coke within said oven and move said coke when required;

a support member movably positioned on said ram beam and constructed and arranged to be movable over said ram beam into close proximity to the door seating jamb of said coke oven doorway when said pusher ram is within said doorway;

scraper means drivably mounted on said support member for movement relative thereto along a predetermined path; and

actuating means constructed and arranged to drive said scraper means along said predetermined path;

said predetermined path being defined to cause said scraper means to travel over the entire door seating surface of said jamb when said support member is in close proximity to said jamb and when said scraper means are driven by said actuating means to thereby scrape clean said jamb seating surface.

6. A coke oven pusher machine and oven door jamb cleaning apparatus comprising:

a body portion,

a pusher ram supported by a ram beam and reciprocally movable relative to said body portion through the doorway of a coke oven to abut the coke within said oven and move said coke when required;

a frame member positioned on said ram beam rean wardly of said pusher ram;

means to support said frame member on said ram beam;

means to move said frame member toward and away from said pusher ram to thereby position said frame member in close proximity to the door seating ram of said coke oven doorway when said pusher ram is within said doorway;

an endless scraper chain mounted on said frame member for movement in a vertical plane relative to said frame member along a predetermined path;

a plurality of scraper blades fixed to said chain and protruding forwardly therefrom to abut said coke oven door seating jamb when said frame member is in close proximity to said jamb;

sprocket means driven by a scraper drive mechanism and mounted on said frame member to drive said chain along said predetermined path; and

guide means constructed and arranged to maintain said scraper chain against said door seating jamb as said chain travels along said predetermined path;

said scraper chain predetermined path being defined to cause each or" said scraper blades to travel over the entire door seating surface of said jamb when said frame member is in close proximity to said jamb and when said chain is drivenby said scraper drive i mechanism and said sprocket means to thereby scrape clean said jarnb seating surface.

7. The coke oven pusher machine and oven door jamb cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein said pusher ram is arranged to be positioned in the coking chamber against the coke charge during the cleaning of the cokerovcn door seating jarnh to thereby serve as a heatshield for said oven door jarnb cleaning apparatus.

7 References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 741,071 11/55 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. \VILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner. 

1. A COKE OVEN PUSHER MACHINE AND OVEN DOOR JAMB CLEANING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A BODY PORTION; A PUSHER RAM SUPPORTED BY A ARM BEAM AND RECIPROCALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID BODY PORTION THROUGH THE DOORWAY OF A COKE OVEN TO ABUT THE COKE WITHIN SAID OVEN AND MOVE SAID COKE WHEN REQUIRED; A FRAME MEMBER MOVABLY POSITIONED ON SAID RAM BEAM AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO BE MOVABLE OVER SAID RAM BEAM INTO CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE DOOR SEATING JAMB OF SAID COKE OVEN DOORWAY WHEN SAID PUSHER RAM IS WITHIN SAID DOORWAY; AN ENDLESS SCRAPER CHAIN MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME MEMBER ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH; A PLURALITY OF SCRAPER BLADES FIXED TO SAID CHAIN AND PROTRUDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM TO ABUT SAID COKE OVEN DOOR SEATING JAMB WHEN SAID FRAME MEMBER IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID JAMB; SPROCKET MEANS DRIVEN BY A SCRAPER DRIVE MECHANISM AND MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME MEMBER TO DRIVE SAID CHAIN ALONG SAID PREDETERMINED PATH; AND GUIDE MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO MAINTAIN SAID SCRAPER CHAIN AGAINST SAID DOOR SEATING JAMB AS SAID CHAIN TRAVELS ALONG SAID PREDETERMINED PATH; 